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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: present · deal · dip · chair · bound · current · bark · lie

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. lie — to recline
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. bound — tied together
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. present — a gift
  8. present — the time now
  9. dip — to sink
  10. present — there
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. deal — an agreement
  13. current — of water
  14. current — happening now
  15. bark — to shout
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. bound — obliged
  18. chair — a leader
  19. bound — certain
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. deal — a big deal
  24. current — electric

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com